Hella Stella

Hello friends,

I finally have a moment to tell you about studio happenings. Where to start?

I have ten songs to record over the course of three full weekends. This past weekend was the first of those. We started off recording "scratch tracks," which is a rough version of a song done (usually) to a click track. A click track is where the metronome clicks away loudly on top of the music - we do this to help the drummer (and everyone else) stay in time. The click gets taken out once the main work is done.

We got all our scratch tracks done, all our drums done, and a few real vocals / instruments done too. In short: a very, VERY productive weekend. We were a bit flabbergasted that it went by so quickly. We even finished a song, beginning to end.

Jack, the drummer, is by far the most professional drummer I've ever worked with. Not only did he chart out every song with his full part, but he got everything on the first or second try, and nailed every idea we threw at him. I was astounded, since I've worked with some very *relaxed* drummers in the past, and most of the time it's been a bit of a headache. Jack used to be my drum teacher, so it was neat to get to know him as a studio musician this time around. He's quite the perfectionist.

Dean is my engineer and producer. He was my engineer and producer for the last album too, so this all feels very familiar. However... One major thing has changed over the past four years:

We've both gotten a lot better.

I'm not saying that to be boastful. I'm really a bit surprised by how much we've learned since the last time. To put it in perspective, the last album took a year to record. This one may be finished in a month, maybe less.

Now that the meat and potatoes explanation is out of the way, let's talk about our feelings.


FEELINGS! - TIMONEER


This album didn't arrive with grace; it fought the whole way. As many of you know, I've been dealing with writer's block for over three years. As a songwriter, I was feeling pretty lost through the whole experience. My writer's block was kicked to the curb when a childhood friend of mine died this past summer - I had to write about it, or I was going to turn into a nervous wreak. So I wrote. And wrote. And the gates opened. And now there is an album in the works.

The song that started everything is called Timoneer, and I've had a hard time playing it since it was written. It just makes me so, so sad. But it needed to be recorded, so we dove into it yesterday with the intention of getting a scratch track finished. An hour an a half later, we had a completed song with four layers of harmony.

Dean put the song on when it was done so we could listen back in the comfort of the studio. He turned off the lights so that we wouldn't get distracted by all the mess. It was a good thing he turned them off, because I turned into a puddle as soon as the song started. I had been really focused during the recording, but now that it was done, it had the usual effect of making me feel like I'd been kicked in the stomach. I bawled my eyes out while it played, mopped up my face on my dress, and decided that now was a good time for a break.

The song is crazy good. It's just not very uplifting. Now I'm trying to decide how I can contact my friend's family to get them a copy. I think they would want it, but I don't know. I really don't know what to do about it.


FEELINGS! - MY BOYS


"My boys" will probably also include some girls, but for now, they are very much dudes.

I have a small group of musicians on this album due to the lack of time, and although we've only had one weekend so far, I feel like adopting them all. Maybe it's just me who sees it, but there's a real connection between me and the people who are helping me get this album done. I have no idea how to thank then properly (other than pay them, of course). They are helping me reach my goals, and I would fucking throw down for them. Basically, I'm saying that I love them to pieces. Especially Dean, who seems to share my brain, and is already talking about ideas for our NEXT album when this one is done.


FEELINGS! - MY JOB


Well, shit. I spend a lot of my time explaining why I like having a day job, why I am happy not doing music full time, why I am good at multi-tasking, and most of it is true. But then I get into the studio and I feel like I'm finally doing something right. This is what I do best. I'm good at my day job, but I don't miss it when I leave, and it doesn't invade my brain the way studio work does. What other job makes me cry because something comes out sounding exactly the way it does in my head?

So the question becomes... Is there any way I could be supported by my music?

I'd need to get out of debt, and I'd probably need to transfer major payments over to my BH, but even then..... Who knows. It feels like a lost cause. But it's on my mind.

Thanks for being patient if you've made it to the end of this post. There are so many words in my brain right now, and it looks like a lot of them spilled onto this here blog.

More studio updates soon!

I'm back at work this week. It may seem odd that I took last week off instead of this week, but since I'm taking over for my boss while he's on Christmas vacation, it was a good option to rest up earlier.

I think that's actually the best way to do it. Last week was so calm, so productive and so creative. I knew Christmas was still a couple of weeks away, so I could just focus on relaxing instead of the stress of the season. If I can, I'll do the same thing next year.

Now we're in the final stretch. All my gifts are bought, but only some of them are wrapped. I'm trying to intercept some parcels from UPS, but they are making it difficult. Generally, things are under control (grumble grumble UPS).

Back to the calm productiveness of last week.... I actually wrote three songs! If you've been reading a while, you may know that I've had a long stretch of writer's block. Like, three years long. The stalemate was broken after my friend died this past summer. I wrote a song for him, and slowly started to write about other stuff. It was an odd feeling.... Like a dam had been opened. It makes me excited about recording a new album this winter. It's also a bit sad to be writing about such sad things, but that's how it goes, I suppose.

The recording itself has also been coming along. I've set up the studio and am learning how to use Pro Tools (the program I'm using to record with). My mic is working, my fancy new headphones are getting lots of use.... It's pretty fun. That being said, I'm going to need to improve a whole fuck of a lot if I'm going to record this album myself. So far the recordings sound distinctly (and understandably) amateur.

I'm thinking of starting either a Youtube or Vimeo account to post some of my new songs. Question, dear readers, music-types especially: which should I go with? Youtube is all over the place, so that's good, but Vimeo is sleeker. If you were making an account for promotion and to stay in contact with fans, what would you use and why? I'd love to hear your pros and cons.

Thanks honeys!

I wrote a new song tonight. I'm not going to place any expectations on it, but I like it.

After getting a whopping two hours of sleep last night, I called in sick to work and proceeded to go into Nutso Unpack Mode on my house.

Happy Sunday!

Thanks for all your encouraging comments on the last post. I think I'll just push through the craziness of the next few months and then prioritize getting a good songwriting space together. Whatever will be will be.

I know I had said my nutty work hours were over, but I'll actually be working late shifts for the next ten days or so.... Then it's REALLY over. Holy crap, it's been a long haul.

Luckily the shifts aren't quite as lengthy as they were before, so at least I've had a bit of a social life. Last night I even put on lipstick, slipped on a leather vest and drank pink champagne with some of my favourite people. It's fun making conversation with someone other than my dog or my co-workers. Also: leather vest! Fun!

Today my BH and I are going on a hot coffee date, followed by some hot grocery shopping and some hot dinner making. When you barely see your partner, everything suddenly seems exciting.

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

I took two days off work this week to recharge after the craziness that was February. Most of my time off was spent arguing with my landlord, but I did get some quality napping in. I also gave Morty a bath after he rolled around in a mud puddle. That was fun, although by the end of it, I needed a bath of my own.

Something's been on my mind, and I'm just going to say it since this is a blog and hey, WHY NOT?

Admission: I'm feeling a bit dispirited about music.

I don't have time to write songs, and when I *finally* carve out some time I get nervous about writing something good and then I choke. I'm tired of the same old same old but I don't know how to break out of it. My brain feels completely full of other things and the songs just don't want to fight their way through. These days, I am getting my musical fix from choir, which at least lets me use my voice. But choir isn't songwriting.

I'm worried I'll never write a good song again. What if I used up my quota of good songs? I used to write a few a week. Now I write nothing.

I'm scared of who I'd be without songwriting. It's a huge part of my identity. I'm starting to understand the panic writers feel when they get writers block.

I really miss having a private space to write songs in. When we move to the new house, I'm thinking of having someone handy build me a big closet that I can turn into a tiny studio. With a lock on the door. And soundproof drywall.

It just brings me down a bit. That's all. I feel like I'm not good at anything when I'm not writing songs.

Thanks Internet. I needed to get that out. It's nice to chat into your virtual ear.

Does anyone out there have fears they need to put out in the open? I'm listening.

I know, two posts in one day. But since I have a minute, I thought I would share an experience I had this afternoon.

In my day job (the one I can't really go into detail about), I hear the news quickly. I heard reports that Gordon Lightfoot died within a few minutes of the story hitting the internet.

I read the headline, processed the rumour, and started to cry. I started to cry so much that I actually had to leave my desk, walk quickly to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall, and have a good long sob.

You may know by now that the story turned out to be a hoax. What kind of a sick person spreads a rumour like that? I hope never to meet them.

I'm telling you this because I've had similar reactions to other songwriters dying. Nina Simone, Elliott Smith, Kate McGarrigle, to name a few. When I hear the news, my heart does a quick run-through of what their music has made me feel. Sadness, elation, extreme happiness, anger, panic.... It all shoots through my system and I can't help but cry. That songwriter will write no longer. It just feels so tragic to me.

I'm thrilled, clearly, that Mr. Lightfoot is still with us. His writing is some of the best, and we're lucky to call him ours. I guess the whole thing reminded me to be thankful for all that song he's given to the world.

Here's my very favourite Gordon Lightfoot song, covered by Peter Paul and Mary. I love this version.

Moral of the story: Hug a songwriter today! Somebody may spread a rumour about their death tomorrow.

I have a minute or two to write, so I'm gonna.

Bangs:

I like them, and I don't.

I like the way they look... I've been sporting the non-bang cut for ages, and it's fun to try something different. That being said, I am a total whiner about having to actually STYLE anything on my head, other than a quick brush and a splash of anti-frizz goo. Megan is an angel and she's lent me her flat iron, but y'know.... That means I have to actually do stuff to my hair. Jury's out.

Funeral:

That funeral I went to was a bit of a freak show.

I went to support a friend of mine - it was her mother's funeral. We haven't seen each other in a decade actually, but we were good friends in high school. I knew she was estranged from her mother on and off over the years. I expected some drama. What I wasn't expecting was the level of drama. Grown ups acting like children, name calling, her family basically pretending she didn't exist, sibling bullshit. I'm glad I went, because other than myself and another girl from high school, she had nobody there for her.

It made me glad that my family is not drastically dysfunctional. We're just weird.

It also made me realize how comfortable I am around old friends. People who have known me for a long time already know my quirks and my sense of humour. It's surprisingly relaxing to know that I'm not going to accidentally offend someone who's expecting me to be different than I am. I suppose I didn't really realize that I get stressed out about such things.

Work:

Typing for 10+ hours a day is already ruining my body - shoulder muscles in particular. It's only the beginning of Crazy Month. I'd better get used to it, and fast.

Music:

Last week, I wrote a long-ish letter to a songwriter who I really admire. We've shared a gig in the past, so I'm not a total stranger to her, but we haven't been in touch in years. I just wanted her to know how much I love her work. She wrote back, and she said some really lovely stuff - particularly things about how songwriters keep writing and recording when everything seems to be falling through. I think her letter has made me more patient.

It also made me realize that part of my songwriting battle stems from a lack of inspiration. I've got nothing going on that I want to write about. My love life is wicked awesome. I have a steady job. My friends are wonderful. But writing about cheerful things bores my socks off. This gives me even more reason to spend a week or so in Montreal this summer - that city gives me the creative creeps.

The End!

I think I need to opt for a list-post, because my brain is a bit wonky today and it's probably that or nothing.

1. I may get to spend a week in Montreal this summer writing songs. To clarify, I'd be renting an apartment and locking myself in there with my instruments. I'll either write songs of die of boredom. My bet is on writing, but my track record has been bad lately. To be continued.

2. It might be time for me to purge my Facebook list. There are so many people on there I don't really know anymore, and have no desire to know anymore. I also have a few people on there who have gotten so annoying that I've hidden them from my view. One guy took to posting drunken weird things on my wall.... And I've never actually met him. Unfriend, sucka.

3. My food mojo has been ROCKING lately. I made a lentil dish last night that should have fed my BH and I a few times over, but instead we gobbled everything up. It's especially great because the dish probably costs under $2 in supplies, and it tastes like a million bucks. Thank you, food gods.

4. I nearly opened a can of whoop-ass on my landlord last night because he thought it would be cool to install molding and use a shop vac at 9:30pm. My BH had just gotten off a 12-hour shift and needed to sleep. Something broke in my brain and I went and had words with the contractors. If they think I'm a bitch, that's cool with me. At this point, I see that as being a good thing. Contractors listen to bitches - particularly the angry ones.

5. I'm taking a tiling course this weekend with my mom. Have I told you about my awesome mom? She's the best. Anyways.... We're going to learn about tile and mud and fun things like that. I'm pretty thrilled.

6. I was worried that my terrible work schedule would mean dropping out of choir. Thankfully, I not only get to stay, but they will be flexible with the repertoire to make sure I can catch up. I LOVE CHOIR.

7. Unfortunately, I may have to increase my security settings for comments. I'm starting to get daily spam and it's driving me nuts. Forgive me. If I do tweak things, I hope you'll still leave me messages - I love them so!

I swear you'll get a proper post next time....

My BH is gone for the week; he's housesitting for friends in the woods again. So far I've filled my non-work hours playing with Morty at the park and ordering sushi because I don't feel like cooking.

Life could certainly be worse.

Other than the towering pile of laundry that needs addressing, I think I'll spend the weekend doing two things: trying to distract Morty with peanut butter treats, and then locking myself in the bedroom to write songs while he howls outside the door. I'm dying to try out the vintage concertina my BH got me for Christmas. It's just so damn pretty.

Speaking of songwriting....

I often collect song ideas in a little booklet - they can be words, situations, locations, etc. The problem with this system is that I rarely have the book on me when I get the urge to write. Maybe the solution is to keep a list somewhere online where I can access it from a variety of spots. I could also duct tape the little booklet to my chest a la Steve Urkel. Tough call.

That's all I've got for now folks. Over and out, and thank God it's Friday.

Today was one of those funny days. I didn't do much, but it feels like I did a lot. Does that make sense? Probably not.

My BH and I went to Raw Sugar for a mini date. He snapped this picture of the back of my head, which is handy, because now you can see the pink. I think it might actually fade to a light pink before my next appointment, which is cool with me - then it will match some of my wardrobe.



You know. Because I'm terribly concerned with wardrobe matching.

I snapped this picture, which does not include any pink hair. Those are my favourite pears on a table, next to a plate that once held some tasty banana cake.

Work is really wearing me down these days. It's insanely busy, and will continue to be busy for most of the winter. So I was extremely grateful when Milan said I could use his apartment to write songs in while he's numbing his ass on a bus to BC. Thanks Milan! I hope you regain the feeling in your ass soon.

I'm out, lovelies. Enjoy the last week before Christmas!

I'm a jeans girl, through and through. If I have a choice between jeans and any other pants/skirts, I'll choose my blues.

This created some problems when I first started working a desk job. I bought several pairs of fancy dress pants, knowing that I would look more professional if I got in the habit of wearing them during the week. But then? I stopped caring. Harsh, but true. I'm just so much more at ease when I'm wearing jeans. They are more comfortable, they are warmer, and they don't look dirty when Morty brushes against them in the morning. These are important things. Also? Even when I force myself to wear dress pants, it's still not enough to disguise the fact that I am a bit of a scrub.

Anyway. I bought new jeans this weekend, because all my old pairs are torn and faded. These are nice and dark, comfortable, and nearly appropriate for the office. The catch? They are so dark that the dye is running. My legs are a weird shade of blue. My hands are blue. When I scratch my nose, it smudges blue. I'll have to wash them several more times before the colour sets. But you know.... Blue hands and all... It's still worth it. All hail comfort!

This weekend was great. First there was the bloggers' breakfast, which was especially fun this time around. Raino's girls asked about Morty* within seconds of my arrival, which thrilled me to no end. I got to chat with all my favourite folks, and the food wasn't bad either.

Sunday was wonderful. I went over to Brian's house, where we proceeded to drink, eat and record music. In reverse order, now that I think about it. I've got demo version of two new songs, which is so crazy exciting.... We even put some harmonies on. Just imagine what I'll be able to do when I set myself up with some recording gear this summer! Drooool.

I'm spending this week preparing for my gig in Toronto this Saturday. I'm hoping to practice the shit out of my new songs with the hope that I'll remember them during my set. We'll see. At my last gig, I somehow forgot how to play Running Shoes. When I apologized to Brian afterwards, he kindly said, "It wasn't a mistake... It was just a new arrangement."

Kind. Very kind.

*It doesn't fit cleanly into this post, but I have to mention it anyway. My BH and I were walking Morty down the street when we stopped to chat with Megan and Shelley. They were clearing up old grass and leaves from their yard. They had put all the debris in a nice pile, about to be loaded into bags. As we were talking, Morty went over to the pile, sniffed it, straddled it, and peed all over it. "Is he peeing??" Shelley asked. I was mortified, no pun intended. Luckily for me, Shelley and Megan both had serious work gloves on that hopefully protected them from Morty's, um, contribution. Morty looked SO PLEASED with himself...

It appears that choir practice is becoming my therapy.

I had a long day at work yesterday, and then came home to a crappy landlord situation that required me to FLY OFF THE HANDLE. I was so tired from the day that I considered, quite seriously, missing practice.

Luckily, my BH pointed out how little time I've got to learn Magnificat before the performance in December. I threw on my coat and boots, and headed out into the rain to get to the church. The walk was wet and cold, and I was feeling a little grumbly.

Of course, it was all worth it when we started singing. Something wonderful happens to me when we hit perfect, five part harmony.... The floor hums, the echo sings, and I'm completely at peace with the music. When I left at the end of the night, I felt rejuvenated.

This is the part we practiced the most. It gives me goosebumps.

As well as having a great choir practice, I wrote another new song. It feels wonderful to be writing songs after having writer's block for so long. I don't even know what changed to make it happen, but I'm so thankful. I feel functional again. It's amazing that I can actually cope better with my life when I'm being artistic. Or... Maybe that's not amazing at all. Maybe that's what art does to people. Am I right?

Anyway, the new song is tentatively called Bait, Line, Hook. It might also be called The Magpie. We'll see. This Sunday, I'm heading over to my fabulous cousin's place to record some of my new songs. I can't wait. :)

Hoooo boy, do I ever get sentimental watching Before Sunrise. Holy mother.

That and Lost in Translation are the films I used to watch obsessively with The Colombian - they were pretty much the only two films we agreed on. Otherwise, he liked movies about war, and I liked foreign comedies. It's really a wonder we became such close friends when we spent most of our time arguing and angrily waving history textbooks around to make our respective points.

Anyways.

I still get all nostalgic every time I watch either of those films. Then, without fail, I fire him off a quick e-mail that says something to the extent of, "COULD YOU PLEASE MOVE BACK HOME NOW?? You've been away forever."

Just one of the perks you get when people move away, I guess. Nostalgic drivel.

Wow! This post sounds like such a downer. What I really came here to say is that I'm tickled pink. I've finished another song! I kept humming the little ditty I made up for the Morty video, so now it's totally rewritten, transposed, slapped onto a guitar, and singable. I'm so excited. After struggling with writer's block for so long, years really, every song feels like a huge victory.

It's called Stuck in Lowertown. I actually adore Ottawa's Lowertown neighbourhood, so I don't particularly understand why I chose that title, but hey. The words stuck. I liked them. That's reason enough.

So. Any sentimental movies you'd like to share so I don't feel like such a shmuck?

Well darlings, the conference was great. I am wiped. WIPED. My body doesn't respond well to 4am bed time, but again. It was worth it.

I have so many pictures to share and so many great bands to talk about. I'll try and upload them tonight so you can get down with the funky music.

As for the aftermath... Well.... My throat is sore, and I've lost my beloved capo.* Not a bad haul, overall. HOWEVER.

That is the fifth capo I've lost since I started using, uh, expensive capos. They are $30 each. With tax, I've thrown away about $200 on clumsiness. Sad. Ironically, I had a leatherworker friend make me a custom guitar strap with a capo holder built in for just this situation.

I still lost the fucking thing.

Most unfortunately, I only noticed my capo was missing at 2:30am in the middle of a set. I had finished all my open songs, looked around, and realized that I was screwed. Luckily, when your audience is drunk, it's easy to pretend that you know what you are doing when your gear craps out.

I met one of my favourite songwriters this weekend, too. Turns out he's actually very funny. I'll tell you about my dorky conversation with him in the next post. I think I used to be a lot smoother when I met people I was crazy about. Those days are gone. It's like someone turned up my dork factor to maximum.

More later, but for now, I have to make sure I don't fall asleep in some random place before the day is done.

*A capo is a little thingy you put on your stringed instrument to change the key. It's very useful, and about 80% of my songs involve capo usage.

I've talked before about how I find it hard to write songs in my apartment, right?

This is largely because of Morty, who is a bonafied brat whenever I whip out an instrument. He is scared shitless of my banjo and my guitar, and is only slightly more tolerant of the piano. He cries and howls whenever I try to play a tune. A sure way to batter one's self esteem, musically speaking.

Sometimes I worry that people don't understand my need to be alone, REALLY alone, to write properly. I'm happiest writing in an empty house, with no puppies or partners to listen in. It's not a diva thing.... It's practical. There's a certain amount of focus needed to get a song right.

I'm happy to report that I finally have video evidence of how my little dude behaves when I play music in his presence. Please keep in mind that he is actually being really good in this clip. Seriously. And for those of you who are about to write "put him in another room!" just know that his volume increases fivefold when I do that.

Behold, Morty being comparatively quiet while I plunk out a song on the piano:

It's been one heckuva week. I am so thankful that it's Friday.

Yesterday was a really pleasant break from the norm - my oldest friend M-A came to visit. I've known her since I was... Born. Pretty much. We lived in a place called Moose Factory together. Not many people get to say that. And no, as far as I understand, they don't export moose (mooses?). If they specialize in anything, it's black flies. I still remember those bites, and I was only two years old at the time.

They were bad.

But then, northern Ontario is a special sort of place.

M-A is also the lovely gal who'll be putting my BH and I up in Japan next year. Her Tokyo adventures have completely inspired me to go visit, and I swear I heard my BH squeal when she said there was an entire street dedicated only to Japanese cookware. Who knew pans for making octopus balls were so exciting? Okay, I did.

(To learn about the wondrous world of octopus balls, feel free to consult my favourite online cooking station: Cooking with Dog).

I'm feeling so drained lately. It sounds silly, but I work all day, come home and play with Morty, feed him, feed myself, and then pass out. I'm actually wishing I had the energy to clean. Ridiculous.

I'd also like to share some pictures with y'all, but my laptop is in the woods with my BH. He's coming back this weekend, so a photo update will follow!

On the music front, things are looking good.... I might be playing the Elmdale this fall, and my talented cousin Brian is already learning my new song. Not that I remember him recording it. It's called inebriated jamming, folks. Only useful if someone remembers it happened.

Thank God for minidisc recorders.

My nightmare last night:

I had to play a gig, but I woke up late and found myself in a run down shack made of plywood. I threw together my stuff in a panic. Morty was with me, and I didn't want to leave him in the shack, so I leaned in and said:

"Morty, could you make yourself smaller so you can travel with me to the gig?"

Morty obliged and morphed into a tiny newborn baby, about the size of my hand. I propped him up in my sports bra (it made sense in the dream) and we took off in a fancy borrowed car. When we reached the venue, the brakes seized and I crashed into someone else's parked car. No matter... There was a show to play! I left the wreck behind and made a mental note to deal with the carnage after I was done singing.

At this point, Morty morphed into a small mouse, because I was getting weird looks from people for having a miniature newborn in between my boobs. I was thankful that he could change forms so easily.

I finally got on stage and realized that my guitar was out of tune, there was no strap, no pickup, and I didn't know the song I was supposed to sing. The gig was sold out.

The end.

__________________________________________________________


In contrast to my creepy dream, the weekend wedding kicked ass. Funny, it's been raining for two weeks straight, but the sun came out on Saturday and made the ceremony a huge success.

It was a really chill event, and everyone (including the wedding party) wore funky comfortable clothes. My BH and I unintentionally wore matching outfits - I wore a scandalously low-cut pink dress, and he wore a nice pink dress shirt (HA! No, he wasn't wearing a scandalously low-cut pink dress too). Actually, cleavage seemed to be the theme of the wedding, with myself and most of the bridesmaids sporting outfits that threatened to let the "party" out with any sudden movements. I later put a top on under my dress so that I could dance without fear.

Sunday was also a success, but for a different reason. I decided to do something about this whole writers block problem. My folks were out of town for the weekend, so I went to their place for some peace and quiet.

Dudes? I was only there for an hour and a half, and I wrote an entire song. ON PIANO. I don't even really play the piano. And even better, the song is great. It's recordable. It's fun and interesting. I has a chorus that I've been humming since I wrote it. It's going on the next album.

This all makes me insanely happy.

This means that I can stop fighting it - I have trouble writing songs at my house, but I can write elsewhere with no problems. I can work with that. I can stop trying to force myself to write at the apartment. It's officially worth it to wait for an empty house somewhere else. My folks are leaving town again in the fall, so I'm going to hold down the fort while they're gone. Maybe I'll get another song out of it!

This week is already immeasurably better than last week. Woot woot!

Yesterday was one of those off days. It went by too slowly, and a bunch of little things went wrong. The morning puppy walk was a disaster. I messed stuff up at work. I got a migraine.

But now it's over! That's the great thing about a bad day. Eventually, it has to end.

My glorious time alone in the apartment was short-lived. As in, one full evening. One full evening without my dog and my man.

It became clear pretty quickly that Morty is not really a country dog. He's a bowling ball of energy, drool and love, but he's not a country dog. The dog that came with the house in the woods is Morty's opposite: old, calm, happy to wander in the forest for hours unattended (also eats poo. unrelated, but GROSS). They get along, yes, but the combination of giant puppy and quiet country dog became a bit too much for my BH.

So much for my songwriting time.

It's nice to have Morty at home with me. I miss him like crazy when he's gone. But I'm a bit sad that my creative time died so fast. I honestly have no idea how I'm going to write another album's worth of songs. I think it's actually giving me anxiety.

Perhaps the answer is this: Don't think about it. Don't attach a timeline to an album. Don't attach any expectations. Just wait for the right time, the right songs, and the means.

Self? Are you listening? Because this is good advice. Take it.